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Bars Collapsed in Record Heat

What a mess.

I was overdue in an inspection to see if there was evidence of a new queen (I lost mine a few weeks ago). Yesterday, we had record high heat of 109F. Today, it will be 104F.

I inspected the hive this morning when it was 86F. Two bars of honeycomb were in a heap on the hive floor. I scooped it out as best as I could. I took some home, and left more then half in a bowl next to the hive.

Scooping out handfuls of comb was interesting. My gloved hands were covered with bees who were none too happy about getting robbed. I could feel their vibrations through the leather.

I was unable to complete the inspection (I didn't want to stress them out too much) so I put the hive back together and left. I still don't know if the hive is queenright.

My questions:

1) Was leaving honeycomb in a bowl the right thing to do (so they can reclaim the honey) or will it invite robbers?

2) My hive is in full sun. I was following advice that full sun deters mites. I was not counting on Central Texas burning off the face of the earth. The roof is wood and it has aluminum roofing material on top of it. What other material should I add, either to the top or bottom of the roof to cool it down?

3) Will I ever find evidence of my queen? Will I ever learn to light my smoker? ---Okay, you don't have to answer #3.

I have the roof propped up on one side and there is water under the hive. Some things I have learned. I should never perform an inspection in extreme heat (I'm glad I didn't attempt that yesterday), and it's probably a good idea to always check the hive after a day of extreme heat.

Re: Bars Collapsed in Record Heat

Originally Posted by MichaelShantz

Cram it full of pine needles and shove a barbeque lighter into it. Use bellows until thick smoke rolls.

This is indeed what many people think would solve all problems with TBH but it is a very harsh measure your advocating! When making top bars, drilling three 3/8 holes thru them vertically and put dowells down short of the bottom or sides of your tbh. The bees will encorporate them in their comb and they will support them.

Re: Bars Collapsed in Record Heat

Put it at the back of the hive and let them clean it up for a day or two or three, then pull it out when it's empty. They may try to build around it, but not much will happen over the course of a few days. I do it all the time with burr comb or pieces of double comb on one bar, etc. You don't have to leave it in a bowl, either, just prop it up against the back so that they can get to both sides and they'll do the rest. They will clean up any spillage, as well.

Whether you should depends on how much stores they have. If they have plenty, take it inside and enjoy it yourself. If they need it, give it to them.

Re: Bars Collapsed in Record Heat

Well, I think i did everything wrong. I should have just left it all in a heap. I thought I was doing them a favor.

I wound up taking bringing the bowl home. My husband had the bee suit and I didn't want to open it up without one. Next time, I'll leave it alone.

There was a hive beetle in the bowl. i don't know if I scooped it out of my box, or if it found the honey during the hours it was beside the hive.

So, Vance, I'm confused about the placement of the three holes. Is it three holes on one side or both? I assume you're talking about the long sides, not the front/back sides. Is that right?

Even if I incorporated the wax into the holes, won't i just destroy that brace every time I open the hive and pull up the bars that have wax in the holes?

I don't understand this at all "put dowells down short of the bottom or sides of your tbh."

Also, since I obviously don't want to drill in an active hive, should I drill holes in the empty hive (I have one without bees yet) and switch it with the active hive? Is this even possible? Could I take the empty hive to the bees and transfer the bars into the new hives and bring the old hive home?

Re: Bars Collapsed in Record Heat

I'm pretty sure he was saying to put dowels in the top bars themselves, so that as the bees draw comb, the dowels will be embedded in the comb, thereby giving them more strength via more "attached area".

Re: Bars Collapsed in Record Heat

Interesting.... I don't do TBHs but I think that I can tell what the problem is. I have standard Langstroth hives and have observed many natural ( feral ) hives over the years. The ferals can produce huge vertical combs with no problem. We occasionally have temps up to 114F and have never seen one collapse.

So why did yours fail... Perhaps your center to center spacing is too wide. If wider than nature intended then the comb becomes too fat and gets very heavy. Feral combs are rather precisely spaced ( but I don't know what that spacing is ) and are never excessively fat. In a Langstroth hive, the spacing is also rather precise and not too fat unless someone chooses to eliminate a frame.

Re: Bars Collapsed in Record Heat

Hey Kat,

Looking at the hive design on that website, I would definitely put a couple of 2x4s or something between the top bars and the roof. It looks like that roof sits directly on the bars and would transfer heat to them pretty effectively. Make a little space between them for airflow during the warmer months and you probably won't have that problem in the future.

Re: Bars Collapsed in Record Heat

Yes, I just built a second roof to put on top of the other roof. The second roof has 2x4s nailed into some plywood that I painted white. So I'll have a cushion of air between the two roofs. What do you think of that?

I could also wrap the white roof with foil, but I don't know how much more that would help.